


Climbing Trees

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Category: Farscape
Genre: GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-20
Updated: 2010-09-20
Packaged: 2017-10-12 01:32:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two brothers, playing and breaking the rules.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Climbing Trees

"You can't catch me, Bialar!" Tuavo laughed as he ran towards the orchards, Bialar chasing his younger brother. It was a fine day, and they were finally done their chores and lessons. Their mother had reminded them they weren't supposed to be climbing the trees in the orchard before they left, but it had already slipped their minds.

"You can run as far as you want, Tuavo, and I'll still be able to catch you!" Bialar grinned, purposely slowing down to give his brother a head start. He watched as Tuavo darted between the trees, and his grin widened as he changed direction, cutting across the arcing path Tuavo was taking through the trees.

Tuavo shrieked when Bialar stepped out from behind a tree in front of him, and spun around, scrambling up the nearest tree. Bialar lazily walked to the base of the tree, looking up through the branches at his brother.

"You have to come down eventually, Tuavo." He grinned, glancing at the branches. They would be able to support him if he climbed after his brother. "If you don't, you won't get dinner, and then you won't be able to have dessert."

Tuavo snorted, sitting on a branch out of Bialar's reach from the ground. "You still can't catch me. And if I have to come down, you have to go back to the house, and you won't have caught me." He grinned, pleased with his logic.

Bialar laughed, reaching up and starting up the tree. Tuavo yelped, and scrambled to get higher, his smaller frame letting him climb further than Bialar.

Suddenly, there was a snap, and Bialar froze, staring up with fear. Tuavo was looking down, his face paling, his hands holding tightly to the branch above him as the one his feet had been on broke free, crashing towards Bialar.

Bialar scrambled out of the way, yelping as the branch caught his ankle, sending a searing pain up his leg.

"Bialar!" Tuavo's voice was full of fear. "Bialar, I can't get down!"

Looking up again, Bialar took a deep breath. He had to ignore the pain. If their father caught them up the tree, he'd give them a beating for not listening to him and their mother. He'd have to get Tuavo down himself.

"I'll get you, Tuavo." Bialar reached up for the next branch, balancing precariously on one foot. "Just hold on. I'll get you."

"Hurry!" Tuavo whimpered, his knuckles turning white from the effort of holding onto the branch.

The microts felt like they were crawling as Bialar inched his way up the tree, testing each branch, hoping there weren't any other rotten branches that would give and send them both crashing to the ground. He frowned, biting his lip as the branches got smaller, and began to bend slightly under his weight.

He was almost there, and Bialar looked up, smiling reassuringly at his brother as he reached out to grab his foot, guiding it to the branch he was sitting on. "Let go of the branch, Tuavo, and grab the trunk. One hand at a time." He knew his brother had to keep a grip on the branch with one hand, or he'd fall before he could grab the trunk of the tree.

Holding tightly to his brother's leg, Bialar watched as Tuavo slowly pried one hand off the branch, immediately grabbing the trunk, tightly hugging it. He felt Tuavo's weight shift onto the branch, and smiled as the younger boy finished transferring his grip to the trunk.

Shifting his own weight, Bialar started to climb down, and felt his foot slip on the smaller branch. He heard Tuavo yelling as he fell, wildly reaching out to grab at branches as they passed, trying to slow or halt his fall. Bialar turned, his eyes widening as he saw the ground coming at him, and reached out a hand to stop his fall.

There was a crack as he hit the ground, and pain lanced through his arm, forcing a scream from his lungs. Whimpering, Bialar tried to push himself up, only to send another searing jolt of pain through his arm. He gritted his teeth to keep the scream from emerging again, focusing on the blood rushing in his ears, and his harsh breathing.

"Bialar!" Tuavo's voice was close, and he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder. "Bialar, are you all right?"

"I think I broke my arm." Bialar let his brother help him sit up, carefully cradling his arm. "Father's going to kill us."

"Maybe we can tell him we were down by the stream, and you slipped on a rock?" He had a hopeful expression on his face, and Bialar grimaced.

"We'll get in more trouble for going that far than we would for climbing the trees. Especially you." He shook his head, struggling to stand up. "I'm not letting you get in more trouble, Tuavo."

Tuavo slipped his arm around Bialar, helping him to stand up, and snuggling close to his side as they started back towards the house. "I don't mind, Bialar."

"No!" Bialar shook his head again, though he dreaded the thought of what would happen when their father found out they were climbing trees.

Their mother was on the porch, and she stood, running over to them when she saw how pale they both were. Her eyes widened briefly when she saw Bialar's arm, and she tried to pull Tuavo away from him. Tuavo shook his head, staying stubbornly glued to Bialar's side.

Their mother sighed. "Tuavo, get your brother inside, and both of you, sit down and wait while I get your father."

"Mother, don't tell father, please?" Tuavo gave her a pleading look. "Bialar wasn't going to climb the tree, but I got stuck."

"Hush, Tuavo." Their mother rested a hand on his head briefly. "Now do as I told you, and let me go get your father. I can't set the bone by myself, and you're too small to pull the bone straight."

Tuavo nodded miserably, helping Bialar into the house while their mother headed for the field where their father had been supervising the farm hands.

~ ~~ ~

"Now, you won't be climbing the trees in the orchard again, will you?" Their father gave both boys a stern look. "You could have gotten yourselves killed."

"Sorry, father." Tuavo looked down at his feet. If he hadn't climbed the tree, Bialar wouldn't be in trouble. He felt tears starting to run down his face, and he sniffled, reaching up a hand to wipe them away.

He was surprised when he felt his father wrap his arms around him in a hug. "You did well bringing Bialar back, Tuavo. And your mother told me you tried to take the blame." He pulled back, and Tuavo saw the twinkle of laughter in his father's eyes. "Remember that, Tuavo, and you will be a fine man when you grow up."

"Really?" Tuavo wiped his nose on the back of his hand, his eyes wide.

"Really." His father wrapped an arm around Bialar's shoulders, bringing them both close to lean his forehead against theirs. "Always stick together, and protect each other. I couldn't ask for more from my sons."

Tuavo saw a smile on Bialar's face out of the corner of his eye, and tears on his face.

"Now, you are going to bed, Bialar, after you drink the broth your mother has for you, and you are to rest. And you both will be going without dessert for the next monen." He was once again the stern father, standing up, and back from them.

Both boys groaned, but they didn't beg for him to let them have just one small dessert tonight as they headed for the kitchen, where their mother was waiting with the broth for Bialar.

Tuavo turned his head as he stepped into the kitchen, and he thought he caught the gleam of tears in his father's eyes before he turned back to the table, and the dinner waiting for him.


End file.
